Mineral County, NV — (RT) Unpaid traffic tickets saw a Nevada woman in jail, where she began to suffer drug withdrawals and seizures. Days later she was dead, after being denied medical care.
A report by state investigators, published this week and revealed by the Reno Gazette Journal, found that staff at Mineral County Jail violated multiple policies by denying 21-year-old Kelly Coltrain medical help, even after she informed them she was dependent on heroin and would suffer seizures without the drug.
In a days-long ordeal caught on her jail cell’s CCTV camera, Coltrain vomited and shook as her condition worsened. Officers rejected her pleas for medical help, instead handing her a mop and bucket to clean up her own vomit.
Coltrain died in her cell, and her body lay motionless for six hours before her jailers realized what had happened. Officers made no attempt to resuscitate her, and did not call for medical assistance until the following morning.
Investigators have asked the local District Attorney to consider pressing charges against the officers involved for inhumane treatment of a prisoner. To avoid a conflict of interest, investigators also passed the report to the district attorney’s office in neighboring Lyon County, which found no reason to press any charges against the officers.
